How to Create a Shortcut

How to Create a Shortcut on Windows

Doing this on Windows operating systems is fairly straightforward. Here’s how to do it on most versions:

Windows XP

Go to the file or folder you want to create a shortcut for.

Right-click on it.

Click on “Create Shortcut.”

If Windows asks you if you want to create the shortcut on the desktop, click on “Yes.”

Otherwise, once the shortcut is created, drag it or copy/paste it to the desktop or any other folder.

Windows 7

Go to the file or folder you want to create a shortcut for.

Right-click on it.

Hover over “Send to.”

Click on “Desktop (create shortcut).”

Another quicker way to create a shortcut on Windows 7 is to right-click on the desktop and click on “New>Shortcut.” Then, type in the location of the original file or browse for it, click on “Next,” and then click on “Finish.”

Windows 8

Here is the fastest way to create a shortcut on this OS version:

Go to the location where you want to place the shortcut.

Right-click the background.

Click on “New>Shortcut.”

Type in the location of the original file/folder you want to create the shortcut for or browse for it.

Type in the name of the shortcut, and you’re all done.

Also, you should know that you can pin apps to the taskbar as well. To do that, just open your “Start” screen, right-click the app in question, and click “Pin to taskbar.”

Windows 10

First, you’ll need to log into the account on which you want to create the shortcut. Don’t forget – on Windows 10, creating a shortcut is user-specific. Next, just follow these steps:

On the taskbar, click on the “File Explorer” icon.

Now, look for the folder or file you want to create a shortcut for.

When you find it, just right-click it.

Hover the mouse over “Send to,” and click on “Desktop (create shortcut).”

Alternatively, you can just click on “Create shortcut” when you right-click the folder or file, and then move the new shortcut where you want.

How to Create a Shortcut on Mac

First, you need to know that, on a Mac, shortcuts are called “Aliases.” With that out of the way, here’s what you need to do:

In the bottom left of the screen, click on the “Finder” icon.

When you find the folder, file, or app you want to create a shortcut for, right-click it.

Click on “Make Alias.”

Now, all that’s left is to drag the shortcut/Alias to the desktop.

How to Create a Shortcut on Linux

First, let’s talk about the GNOME desktop interface. You can use “gnome-desktop-item-edit” to add a desktop shortcut by using this command:

$ gnome-desktop-item-edit location –create-new

“location” is where you will input the directory where you want the shortcut to be created (here’s an example: “~/.local/share/applications”). Afterwards, you can edit the shortcut manually if you want.

If the app isn’t available, just use this command to install it:

$ sudo apt-get install –no-install-recommends gnome-panel

Next, we’ll cover the Ubuntu Unity method. Most users prefer using the GUI method since all that’s needed to is to use this command:

gnome-desktop-item-edit –create-new ~/Desktop

Once the command is typed in, a new window pops out, and you just need to fill in the shortcut-related info. All you need to do is add the shortcut’s name, choose its type, add the command name, and input any comments you have.

Just keep in mind you need to have the gnome-panel package installed. If you don’t have it, just open the terminal and use this commands:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install gnome-panel

If you prefer using the Terminal, you can create a shortcut by creating a file with the .desktop extension by using this command:

sudo vi ~/Desktop/MyTerminal.desktop

Along with that, you can paste these commands and modify them as you see fit:

Afterwards, just offer the shortcut executable permission with this command:

sudo chmod +x MyShortcut.desktop

And if you’re fond of using Dash home, just copy the .desktop shortcut here: “/usr/share/applications/”

Moreover, here’s how to create shortcuts on other well-known Linux desktop interfaces as well:

Xfce Desktop – Right-click the desktop background, and click on “Create Launcher.” Fill in the info for the shortcut, and you’re good to go.

KDE Desktop – Right-click the “kickoff” icon (bottom left corner of the desktop). Select “Edit Applications,” choose the category, and click on “New Item.” Type in the shortcut’s name and fill in the meta info, and that’s all.

LXDE Desktop – Right-click the desktop background, and click on “Create New Shortcut.”

How to Create a Shortcut on iOS

File shortcuts are automatically added to your iOS device’s Home Screen (and additional screens) when you install an app. However, you can also create a shortcut for a website – here’s how:

On a website, tap the “Bookmark” icon.

Next, tap on “Add to Home Screen.”

Lastly, change the shortcut name if you want.

How to Create a Shortcut on Android

To add a website shortcut, just do the following:

Tap on the overflow menu icon in the top right of any web page.

Tap on “Add to Home Screen.”

Edit the title if you want, and tap on “Add.”

And if you want to create a shortcut for a specific file/folder, navigate to your “My Files” section, choose the folder/file you want to create a shortcut for, long-tap it, and – from the overflow menu on the top right – tap on “Add shortcut.”